Why I Chose Elementary Education by Tatum

Why I Chose Elementary Education by Tatum - May 2023 Scholarship Essay

My name is Tatum Haskins and I plan on majoring in Elementary Education. I chose that major for a few reasons and all of them are quite different but all of them make me think I can be a great teacher.
When I was in middle school my best friend and I discovered we wanted to be veterinarians. We said this for a few reasons, we love animals, we watched way too many vet shows, and we wanted to help people and their furry companions. However, as time went on I knew that I couldn’t be a vet. There are so many decisions and calculations you have to make at the drop of a dime. Then I also realized I don’t want to go to school for eight years either. A few months after I decided that my friend realized the same thing.
After that, the pandemic hit. During the pandemic I was excited to get a break from school but that two-week break turned into 3 years of online schooling. I made my own routines and systems to make the best of my situation but I started missing the structure of school and the routine I was in. I began to realize that being in school was great for how I work on routines. That is where my first idea of becoming a teacher came from.
When I was younger I loved school and it was my favorite part of the day. I can remember those teachers that had a great impact on my life and really helped me get to where I am now. I want to be that teacher for a student one day. I want to have a good lifelong impact on someone. I want to help my students through their struggles and difficulties and cheer them on when they’re thriving.
I don’t just want to go to college to become an elementary teacher, I want to become a safe space with routine and stability for myself and my students. It was a long road to get to this decision but now I never want to go back.